Harry Potter and the Soul Shifter
By: Alex Lyons3
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and everything in the wonderful world of Hogwarts. Disney owns Brooklyn, the gargoyle. I own Jessica "Jess" Cotten.
Author's Note: Originally, I started on a story about Harry's sixth year before J.K.R. released OotP. Sadly, when Sirius died, so to did my ability to write that fan fiction. So, I've salvaged some characters and added some cross over points and re did the whole thing. I really didn't expect Sirius to die. Truthfully, I should have. Just for the record, the time line is going to be a bit iffy since most people put it up as Sirius died in 1996. I'm going to say that Harry didn't even start Hogwarts until 1997, so Sirius didn't die until 2002. Did I lose anyone? *A few hands are raised* Okay! Simply, first book published in 1997. So, that's when Harry starts as far as I'm concerned. Harry's fifth year would be 2001-2002, so Sirius (at least in my mind) does not die until 2002. Okay? Anyway, on with the story.
Important Author's Note: When ever anything is being pronounced, such as the word Revelare (Latin for reveal) two e's signify the long e sound as it feet. One e signifies a short e sound as in bed. I do not know how to pronounce the Latin word, but I really don't care how it's really pronounced.
Chapter 14: Revelare, Polyjuice Potion, Griffins and Moonflowers
Professor Cotten snorted as Professor Brooks shut the door. She looked about at the class.
"I'm to assume that he discussed Soul Shifters with you, am I correct in that assumption?" She said slowly and barely above a whisper. The class nodded. "Good." She said in that same deathly soft voice and just as slowly. The whole class was transfixed upon her every movement. "Today, I will be teaching you a spell which will reveal those who are being possessed by a Soul Shifter. This spell is highly complex and I would find it very doubtful if you were capable of doing this spell on your first try. However, I expect some effort to go into this lesson. I have the upmost confidence in all of you. As long as you put forth some effort, I will award you house points. Now, let us begin with the wand waving." She did a complicated twisting of her left wrist and then slowed it down to show the students how it was done.
Everyone copied her and only Hermione and Dean got it right the first time around. It took the majority of the class at least three more times before they got it right.
"Very good everyone. Five points for each Gryffindor and Slytherin. Now repeat after me...Reevelare!"
"Reevelare!" The whole class chorused.
"Good! Very good. Excellent, on you pronunciation. Five points for each Gryffindor and Slytherin." Jess said happily. "I must say, I'm very impressed. Mr. Malfoy, will you please stop acting like Professor Brooks! I do not need another immature male in this class room to deal with." She said not even glancing in Malfoy's direction as he started mouthing with her.
Malfoy looked genuinely shocked.
"Now, since I have everyone's attention, I'd like for you to try this spell on a partner. If your doing it correctly your partner should only feel a tingling sensation, unless they're being possessed. If that's the case then the body that's being possessed should start to change from one form to another. The Soul Shifter should emerge and the edges should be rather blurry. The more the Soul Shifter fights, the more blurry the outline of the person gets. Once you point your wand away from the person who is your partner the spell will dissipate rather quickly. Especially if your partner is not possessed." Professor Cotten said cheekily.
Everyone paired off and began to practice the spell. No one changed or became blurry, but everyone felt a tingling sensation running up and down their spine. The bell rang and the class marched off for potions after being told that they had to read the chapter three and practice Revelare.
"Well, that was the most interesting lesson we've had in a long time, wasn't it?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron.
"I'll say. That was bloody brilliant! Could you imagine someone being possessed by something like a vampire?" Ron said awe struck.
"I wouldn't want to imagine it." Harry said deep in thought, "I've already got enough problems with Voldemort trying to possess me."
"You know, Harry, you might want to talk to Professor Snape about getting Occulmency lessons again. You can do it right after potions after everyone's gone." Hermione said.
"Yeah, I think I will." Harry said dejectedly.
They reached the potions class room where everyone was standing just outside the door while some third year Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors were filing out of the class room. The sixth years went in. Professor Snape was standing in front of his desk waiting.
"Today we will be learning how to make Polyjuice Potion. It is a very complex potion to brew and I expect that you sixth year students will be able to brew such a potion, simply because you were capable of getting an Outstanding. It utterly amazes me with some of you." Snape said as he glared at Harry and Ron. "However, at least Longbottom is not here. Now, here are your instructions for the potion. It should take about a month before it is ready. Begin."
The students all began to mix their ingredients. Snape came over to Harry, Ron and Hermione's desk.
He spoke quietly to them, "The Headmaster has told me something highly amusing about you three and a cat hair in second year. I would suggest that you come here tonight at six o'clock."
The three friends each looked at one another in horror as they prepared their Polyjuice Potion.
Professor Snape told them that for homework they would have to
The bell rang an hour later, signaling that the class was over and the whole class trooped to the Great Hall for lunch.
Hagrid came up to the Gryffindor table just as Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting down.
"Hello, you."
"Hey, Hagrid. What have you got planned for our next Care of Magical Creatures lesson?" Ron asked.
"Oh, you'll see. I'm saving it for a big surprise." Hagrid said smiling as he went up to the staff table.
"Oh no." Hermione groaned, "He's probably got something even more dangerous than last time."
The kids quickly ate their food and the sixth year Gryffindor and Slytherins went down to Care of Magical Creatures. Professor Brooks was out there with Hagrid stroking a large eagle like creature's neck.
"Oooooh! Hagrid has griffins!" Hermione said in an awed voice.
Malfoy drawled, "Oh how wonderful! First hippogriffs, now griffins. This school is going to the birds."
The griffin that Professor Brooks was petting turned its head toward Malfoy and snorted with contempt. The Gryffindors started to laugh.
"Now gather round! Gather round! These 'ere be Professor Brooks' lot of griffins. He's kindly let me use them for this lesson. I'll let 'im tell ya abou' them."
"Thank you, Hagrid! Now, like hippogriffs, griffins are extremely intellegent and can become highly offended. So, if you offend one I'm not taking you to the hospital wing! You can bleed your life out right here on the grounds! These griffins are very hard to offend, but don't go trying their patients especially those three there in that paddock and this one here. They're pregnant and so their patients is rather thin right now! Everyone got that?" Professor Brooks asked looking directly at Malfoy who was paying the upmost attention especially after Brian said he'd leave any of them there to die. Malfoy nodded.
"Good." Professor Brooks said nodding, "Okay, Hagrid, who are your best students usually?"
"I'd say all of them, but 'arry, Ron and 'ermione are my very best students."
"Okay! You three, come here." Brian led them over to the paddock where the other three pregnant griffins were kept. "I expect that you know to be very careful about what you say, right?"
They nodded.
"Good! These three aren't near as Nika to their birthing, but they're still exceptionally edgy. Be sweet and feed them what's in the buckets there and they'll be pretty placid. They don't like to move much, but do not tempt their tempers."
The trio went into the paddock watching the griffins carefully.
"Don't make any sudden movements. Move slowly, yet deliberately towards them. They'll only attack you if they think your going to attack them." Professor Brooks said.
Hermione went up to a rust colored one and slowly inched her hand towards the feathers on her neck. The griffin, which had a black harness on turned her head and sniffed Hermione's hand. Hermione stood there watching as the griffin took a good sniff and then put her beak under Hermione's hand to be petted. Hermione relaxed and petted the gorgeous creatures head.
Ron went up to his, which was a large golden colored one. She eyed him suspiciously before he got there and let her smell his outstretched hand. She let him scratch under her blue harness's straps.
Harry picked a small gray griffin. The little female looked quizzically at him before sniffing his hand appreciatively. Her dark brown harness creaked as she moved more of her falcon like head under Harry's hand.
The rest of the class got to pick out of a small group of juvenile and adult males, while Malfoy was asked specifically to take on the one Professor Brooks called Nika. Probably because Hagrid had told Professor Brooks all about the problem with Malfoy and Buckbeak, Professor Brooks was showing Malfoy how to talk soothingly to her and how to approach her and everything.
"You know," Malfoy said angrily, "I think I can handle some stupid animal!"
The griffin started to lunge, but Brooks stopped her by putting a hand on her chest.
"Look! Do you expect me to believe that you can handle them when I've heard about your third year. Yes, that definitely tells me you can handle them! Nika would skin you alive! Simply because she doesn't happen to like your looks at some strange moment. See's pregnant and she's not in a particularly good mood. Would you be in a good mood when your wizard decided to move you three months away from your birthing day? I don't think so! Now, be exceptionally nice to her, okay?"
Malfoy nodded and went up to the large granite gray griffin with a golden harness and began to run his hands down her swollen sides when she made it apparent that it was most appropriate.
The class soon ended and Hagrid told them that their homework for tonight was to write a paper on griffins and their habits and what their griffin seemed to like best to eat.
The Gryffindors went off to Herbology with the Hufflepuffs while the Slytherins went off to where ever their next class was.
Professor Sprout was there with Jess who needed help her take care of her rhododendron.
"Thank you, Professor. I'm horrible with plants and why my colleague got me this I'll never know."
"Not a problem, dear. I'm always glad to help another teacher. Especially one as sweet as you, dear." Professor Sprout said cheerfully as Professor Cotten left the green house.
"Today class, we will be studying the Moon flower and its properties in potions." Professor Sprout said.
The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs had an exceptionally wonderful Herbology lesson and then returned up to the school for dinner in the Great Hall.
* * *
To RogueFanKC: Well, I will say that Dumbledore knows why Brian is keeping to himself. Jess is an original character to a degree. So not completely, she was one of the few with Brian that wanted the job. When the two met they became friends right away and they asked if they could teach Defense together.
To dreamer43: I just hope I can stay a float with the good stuff. I think all this information might be getting a little boring.
To Samantha: Oh yeah, I hate those types too. They start out doing a great job, but then (bam!) they insist upon making an action story a romance. This isn't a romance by any stretch of the imagination. No, the Sorting Hat's song was not about Harry. I'll let you know who it is in a later chapter though. For your question about seeing a gargoyle, oh yes. Otherwise I wouldn't have put it in the disclaimer.